Kaua'i named best site for second energy lab
By Jan TenBruggencate
Advertiser KauaÎi Bureau
KEKAHA, Kaua'i — The coastal plain of West Kaua'i is the state's best site for a second Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawai'i, according to studies.
What it lacks is someone to back it and build it.
Studies for the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism concluded that South Point on the Big Island and Port Allen and Kekaha on Kaua'i were the top spots, with Kekaha the best among them, said David Rezachek, alternative energy specialist with the department's Energy, Resources and Technology Division.
Kekaha has cold, deep water not far from shore, its sandy soil is easily worked and there is an abundance of state-owned land along the coastline.
A facility there could expand on work already being performed at the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawai'i at Keahole, Kona.
One problem with expanding at Keahole is the high cost of site preparation and the lava rock along the coastline that would make construction difficult, he said.
The basis of the complex is the availability of very cold seawater from the deep ocean and warm water from near the surface.
The difference in water temperatures can be used to operate an ocean thermal energy conversion power plant that can run the pumps and produce a small amount of excess electricity for sale, Rezachek said.
The studies concluded that specialized drilling technology could be used at Kekaha to install the pipes without disturbing the shoreline.
The design would minimize environmental impacts, the studies said.
The cold water, after being run through the power plant, can be used in a range of aquacultural and agricultural operations, many of which have already been tested at Keahole.
These include salmon and lobster production and the growing of algae like spirulina, which is used in food products.
The cold water also can be used for air conditioning at considerably lower cost than standard electricity-powered air conditioners.
Rezachek said he plans to meet with county and state officials to discuss the proposal.
"It would take some sort of government entity to do it," he said.
